11.06.2026 22:11
Emir Yarar, who killed elderly man Sebahattin Coşar in Samsun by strangling him with a rope and stabbing him, then hid his body in the house basement for 4 days, appeared before a judge for the first time facing an aggravated life sentence request. The defendant claimed he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the murder and did not remember the incident. The court panel decided to continue the detention and adjourned the hearing.
A detained defendant, who allegedly killed his ex-wife's grandfather and hid the body in a basement for four days, appeared before the judge in Samsun. The defendant, who is being tried for aggravated life imprisonment, claimed he does not remember why he committed the murder.
HID BODY IN BASEMENT FOR 4 DAYS
In the incident that occurred in March 2025 in the Yavuzselim neighborhood of Samsun's Canik district, Sebahattin Coşar (69), a father of six who reportedly had Alzheimer's, disappeared after leaving his home to withdraw his pension. An investigation launched after his family filed a missing person report revealed that Coşar had been killed. As a result of the investigation, it was determined that Emir Yarar (24), who has a criminal record of 14 offenses including "drug possession, intentional injury, threats, and property damage," strangled the elderly man with a rope and stabbed him to death. Coşar's body was found in the basement of the defendant's father's house. Yarar was arrested, and a lawsuit was filed against him seeking aggravated life imprisonment for "intentional killing."
At the first hearing of the case heard in the Samsun 5th Heavy Penal Court, the detained defendant Emir Yarar was brought from Erzincan Prison. The victim's daughter, Aysun Karaca, the defendant's former mother-in-law, was present as a complainant.
"I DON'T REMEMBER WHY I KILLED HIM"
In his defense, the defendant Emir Yarar, accused of killing Sebahattin Coşar, the grandfather of his ex-wife Mukaddes Karaca, claimed he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident, saying, "There was a storage area under my father's meatball shop. I went there. I was using drugs. Sebahattin Coşar came to the scene. He arrived suddenly. I laid him on the ground. I don't remember exactly. I stabbed him and strangled him with a thread. The knife was on me. I don't know how I gave my statement. I don't remember how the incident happened. The police came and took me from home. I showed them the crime scene. I didn't do this for money. I had no problem with the deceased. I have been using drugs for many years. I had psychological issues. I was having nervous breakdowns and harming those around me. I also had problems with my family. I tried to burn down my father's house. I don't remember why I killed Sebahattin Coşar. No one helped me; I was alone. It happened because of drugs and psychological problems. I don't even remember killing him. I don't know if he had a bag. The reason I killed him was not to take his money."
When the court panel asked whether the victim had withdrawn his pension and no money was found on him, the defendant said, "I didn't know he had withdrawn money. He came to the storage area, and the incident happened."
The defendant denied his initial statement during the investigation that his ex-wife Mukaddes Karaca had directed him, claiming he made that statement when he was not himself and did not accept it.
The defendant's lawyer argued that his client was using medication for schizophrenia and was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident, requesting a forensic medical examination.
"I THINK HE KILLED HIM WHEN HE SAW HIM COUNTING MONEY"
Taking the floor at the hearing, Aysun Karaca, the victim's daughter and the defendant's former mother-in-law, stated she was filing a complaint against the defendant and demanded the harshest punishment. Karaca said, "My mother passed away 4 months ago. My father was staying with me. My daughter Mukaddes was also with me. My brother lived in Antalya and was coming. My father was waiting for him. When we woke up in the morning, my father was not home. I thought he went to my uncle's house because he liked to walk around. He didn't use a phone. When neighbors said, 'Your father is gone, maybe he was killed,' I became suspicious and went to the police station to file a missing person report. My father had withdrawn his pension. He liked to count money at the coffeehouse. I think Emir killed my father for robbery. I had three sons-in-law, and I liked him the most. But he was also trying to harm us. If he wanted to kill someone, he would have killed his own wife. He mistreated my daughter when they were married. He even took a knife and tried to cut my husband's throat. I think he saw my father counting money after withdrawing his pension, took him to the storage area, and killed him."
In response, the defendant rejected the accusation, saying, "I did not kill him for his money; I did not take his money."
"THERE WAS NO HOSTILITY"
The defendant's father, Recep Yarar, was also heard as a witness. Describing that his son had been using drugs for a long time and had psychological problems, the father said, "It was during Ramadan. My son Emir and his mother were arguing. Later, we learned there was a body under the house. Sebahattin Coşar was being sought as missing. I was in shock. I thought about what to do. Then I went to the police and told them the situation. I wanted to wait a bit for my son to be caught. When I went home, he was watching TV. I informed the police. We went to the house with the police, and I handed over my son. Then we went downstairs, and the police found the body. My son was using drugs. There was no hostility between him and the victim. He had previously tried to burn the house and attempted suicide. Before the incident, he had received treatment at the hospital for 25 days."
"MY BROTHER TOLD ME HE KILLED SEBAHATTİN COŞAR"
The defendant's brother, Mert Yarar, stated that his brother had made similar claims before, saying, "My brother told me he killed Sebahattin Coşar, but I didn't believe him. He had previously said he killed other people but hadn't. I went to the storage area under the house. I saw blood and was afraid, so I didn't go in. When my father came home, I told him that my brother said he had killed someone."
"HE WANTED TO KILL MY MOTHER AND FATHER"
The defendant's ex-wife, Mukaddes Karaca (25), testified in court, "We divorced 2 years ago. My ex-husband became aggressive when he wasn't using substances. After the divorce, he attacked us with a knife. He wanted to kill my mother and father. He wanted to reconcile with me. Because my family supported me, he wanted to harm them. My grandfather had been missing for 3-4 days. I found out on the third day that my grandfather was missing. My mother said they couldn't find my father and were going to file a missing person report. He had no problem with my grandfather. I think my ex-husband killed my grandfather to hurt me. About 1.5 years before the incident, he told me, 'I love you very much, I can't harm you, but I will kill someone from your family and make you suffer.' So, I think that's why he killed my grandfather. My ex-husband was a substance addict. He also stole to buy substances. He might have killed my grandfather for drug money. My grandfather's withdrawn pension was also not found."
PROSECUTOR SEEKS AGGRAVATED LIFE IMPRISONMENT
The public prosecutor presented their opinion on the merits, demanding that the defendant be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for "intentional killing with monstrous intent." The defendant's lawyer requested time to prepare a written defense against the opinion.
After hearing the witnesses, the court panel decided to continue the defendant's detention and also referred the matter to the Samsun Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for filing a case regarding robbery, as no such case had been opened, and adjourned the hearing to a later date.
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